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How to Choose the Right Torque Wrench Set

By Alix Beales

We’ve talked before about choosing the right torque tools — and how to match the best tool for the job at hand.

But if you’re setting up a new workshop or expanding into new services, you need to know you’ve got the full suite of tools that can cover every eventuality.

Here’s how to build the right set of torque wrenches — and give your workers the options they need for every job:

 

How much torque do you need?

There’s a huge range of different torque jobs that can pop up in a vehicle workshop — from lightweight jobs like fastening spark plugs, to the heaviest of jobs like fastening driveline components.

And while some torque wrenches cover an impressive range of torques, there’s no one-size-fits-all tool that works for every job. So if you want to cover your bases, you’ll need a diverse selection of wrenches on hand.

For lightweight torque jobs (from 20 Nm to 200 Nm), you’ll be looking at:

For moderate torque jobs (100 Nm to 400 Nm), you can start with:

And for the heaviest of hand-torque jobs (200 Nm to 1,000 Nm), there’s only one manual torque tool that fits the bill: the Adjustable Dual-Scale Ratchet.

 

What size fastenings do you work with?

For the most common torque jobs you’ll find in a commercial workshop, you’ll be looking at a ½” (half-inch) square drive.

That covers a wide range of jobs — but it won’t cover everything. You’ll also need torque tools that can match up to a ¾” or a 1” drive. And that means you’ll need more than a single tool in your set.

Here’s how our different torque wrenches line up:

Type of Torque Wrench Options for ½” Options for ¾” Options for 1”
‘P’ Type Yes Yes No
‘Mushroom’ Head Yes Yes No
Adjustable NorTorque Yes No No
Adjustable Dual-Scale No Yes Yes

 

But what about the uncommon sizes of fastenings?

If you’re working with delicate nuts and bolts — but you still need to apply a precise level of torque — you might also need an Adjustable Torque Screwdriver Kit.

It’s an all-in-one set that covers a wide range of sizes with its included bits (from 2mm up to ¼”), and can apply smaller torques from 0.3 Nm up to 3.00 Nm.

That means it’s not a replacement for any of the torque wrenches above. But if you’re dealing with smaller fastenings, it’s a vital piece of kit that helps you apply smaller torques precisely — and especially in tight spaces.

 

Do you need an adjustable wrench?

Some torque wrenches are used for a single type of job — like our ‘P’ Type Industrial Ratchet.

They’re calibrated to a particular torque using a separate testing device, and then dedicated for use in one application — often with coloured seals placed on the end to help your technicians pick the right tool for the job.

That’s great for simplicity and speed. But if you’re working across multiple jobs with different levels of torque, you’ll need to invest in a large number of torque wrenches to cover every application.

Instead, some workshops prefer to invest in an adjustable torque wrench — like our NorTorque Ratchet or Dual-Scale Ratchet.

With a simple and fast way to set the torque using the built-in scale on the wrench itself, your technicians can easily switch between different components and fastenings — without any need to change the tool in their hand.

 

So what torque tools do you need for a set?

If you’re kitting out your workshop with a new set of torque wrenches, you need to be sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

And that means building a set of wrenches that covers nearly every job, every size of fastening, and every potential torque.

So as a minimum starter set, we’d recommend:

 

Looking for advice on your next workshop upgrade?

That covers the basics of manual torque jobs — and the minimum set of tools you need to cover the majority of cases.

But for the heaviest of torque jobs, you’ll need something stronger — like our motorised EvoTorque Battery Tool or our HT3 Hand Torque Multiplier.

You can check out our full range of torque tools (both manual and motorised) in our online shop — or talk to one of our workshop experts to help you find exactly what your workshop needs.